A staple insertion device, which may also be referred to as a staple gun, can be used to staple mats or other sheet materials to the ground. Such mats or other sheet materials are used in a variety of applications, such as to improve growing conditions and/or to control erosion. For example, following landscaping and construction projects, textile fabric may be laid on disturbed earth. The textile fabric, sometimes referred to as landscaping cloth, can be used to hold seed on the ground and to promote growth of grass or other flora on the disturbed soil. The textile fabric can help prevent erosion while plant root structures are growing to more permanently hold the soil in place. As another example, a textile fabric may be rolled over a soil roadway bed before depositing crushed gravel on the roadway bed during construction.
Independent of the application, it may be desirable to secure textile fabric or other material to prevent movement of the material. In the case of fabric laid over disturbed earth, staples may be used to secure the fabric to the underlying ground. This can require inserting a large number of stapes across the face of the fabric, particularly when the fabric is used in a large-scale construction project. The process of inserting staples can be even more challenging because the conditions in which fabric is deployed over disturbed ground, often muddy and wet, have a tendency to foul equipment used in the staple insertion process. Being able to efficiently secure the fabric to the ground can help ensure that a project remains on schedule and on budget.